The First Guardian
(The Merged Realms of Peter Pan and Up)
(The Merged Realms of Peter Pan and Up)
Seven pairs
of feet kicked up several bits of sand for a few miles as they trekked across
the shores of Neverland and South America. A boot had to be removed at one
point in the trek to dump out sand grains, while both pair of shoes had to be
removed to allow bare feet to travel the remainder of the way. It was a
pointless walk to Adrienne, who knew the easier route would be to simply
teleport to the location of the Guardians in the realm. Yen Sid’s only
objection to that idea was time – there was not much time, or even energy, to
randomly teleport over parts of a realm that had already merged enough with
another to become nearly undecipherable between the two. Teleporting would
merely put them back to square one in their search; heading in one direction
made more sense. But it did not make much sense to Adrienne, yet she trusted
her old master’s judgment.
Sand in her
boots and her stomach growling, Adrienne could not remember when she felt so
irritated. She was so hungry she could eat Jar Jar Binks raw, which sounded
more disgusting than she cared to admit. The only thing that managed to take
her mind off of food was the sight of Captain Hook’s ship anchored in the
distance. Seeing it, she wondered if the brokenhearted captain had sent a
search party out for Genevieve, as well as herself and Russell. It was those
thoughts that began to make Adrienne a bit paranoid, once again questioning the
time-consuming walk.
(Narrative Note: In The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2, it was revealed that a reincarnation's body can provide nutrients to itself when he or she is in starvation. This occurred in WOD2 with Gigi - Joanie's first reincarnation - was held captive by S.H.I.E.L.D.)
“We should
make our trip here quick, Yen Sid.” She suggested.
Yen Sid
turned to her for a brief moment and then looked to the darkening skies. “I
intend to make things quick, Adrienne. There is only a short amount of time
left for the Disneyverse.”
“Argh!”
Grunts from
Victoria soon drew everyone’s attention to her. She had lagged behind, both of
her slippers in one hand and the other pulling her long skirt up as it brushed
against the sand, leaving a trail behind her.
“What’s
wrong with you?” Theresa asked her.
“Look at
what I’m wearing!” Victoria gestured to her dress with the hand still clasping
her shoes. “This dress wasn’t meant for expedition! It’s hindered me ever since
that jungle we were in! My skirt got caught up in branches at least
five times in a row! I need to wear
something else! Something like what you’re all wearing! Something—”
“Something
that’ll stop you from whining?” Adrienne grumbled, earning her a wicked glare
from Victoria.
“Why don’t
you just change your clothes?” Shelly asked.
Victoria
snickered from her suggestion. “Right. I think I missed the nearest wardrobe
back there.”
“She’s
being serious.” Theresa said. “As a Guardian, you can make your own clothes.”
Curiosity
built up in Victoria, seeing just how genuine the women were in their mad suggestion.
Rubbing the fingers from her free hand through her short black hair, she asked,
“What clothes should I make for myself?”
Marla
smiled. “Anything that agrees with you, hon.”
Victoria’s
sparkling blue eyes looked upward in thought. “Hmm…I’d like to wear something…something
that’ll let me…be free!” As she carefully pondered on suitable attire, a sudden
bright golden glow overtook her dress. One minute, it was a dress; the next
minute, she had on a black, tight-fitting t-shirt, a pearl necklace, and black
flat front shorts that were kept up by a black leather belt. She smiled over
her new clothes, which turned out to be exactly as she imagined. “I can see my
feet…and my legs!” Her eyes grew wide
at her slender yet exposed limbs, growing somewhat concerned. “I-Is this normal
wear for a woman?”
The other
Guardians – Adrienne especially – were astonished by Victoria’s ability to
conjure up such a perfect outfit to fit her form in. Between it and the rest of
her look, she certainly resembled Audrey Hepburn more than before. “It’s
perfect!” Tiffany was the only one who managed to say.
(Biographical Note: Victoria's contemporary look for Tales of the Disneyverse and later Marvel Mayhem is based from an Audrey Hepburn photo shoot Victoria Summer was the model for. Summer has noted Hepburn as one of her inspirations as a model and actress.)
The
short-haired Englishwoman giggled happily. “Wow! I wonder what else I can do
for myself…for others!”
“I am glad
that you have asked.” Yen Sid said, approaching her. “I have waited for this
moment to come, and now that it has, I believe you, Victoria, can assist us
with your abilities in finding the Guardians in this realm.”
Adrienne’s
ears burned from this. “What? Are you serious, Yen Sid?” The sorcerer shot her
that iconic stare of his that even intimidated her. “O.K. Trick question. But this girl has barely learned how to
travel between worlds! Training her now
would be a waste of our time! Her wardrobe change was a mere fluke! It’ll take
her years to master the level of
power the rest of us have!”
“I am
afraid that I must disagree, Adrienne.” Yen Sid said. “Victoria is the most
powerful of you all. She is in fact
Sean Thomas’s very first reincarnation.”
(Authorial Note: This plot twist was imagined by Livingston to change up the reincarnation line of Sean Thomas, after leading readers to believe Sheryl was his first form in The Marvelous World. He enjoyed the idea of a "surprise reincarnation," feeling it was similar to what Doctor Who had done with the War Doctor. He had chosen Victoria to represent this form when he began to love her development in Tales of the Disneyverse.)
Adrienne’s body
twitched in shock from this sudden revelation. Marla, Theresa, Shelly, and
Tiffany could hardly believe it as well. “That’s…impossible!” Theresa verbally
expressed her disbelief.
(Spoiler Note: In a most recent chapter of World of Disney 3, Vanessa reveals herself as the succeeding reincarnation of Genevieve. The general reaction to this news mimics that of Victoria in this scene.)
“We all
know Sheryl was the first Guardian.”
Tiffany said, before adding with skepticism, “Wasn’t she?”
“You are
correct.” Yen Sid acknowledged Tiffany’s observation. “While Victoria was
Sean’s first reincarnation, she was not the first Guardian. The title of ‘Guardian’ is inherited by those who swear
to protect the Disneyverse. It might seem like a birthright at first, but it
cannot be so unless the inheritor accepts it. Victoria was never Guardian
because she was lost to the Disneyverse upon her reincarnation. She had nothing
to remind her of who she used to be – except for memories in the form of dreams
– which is how she came to accept her new
identity. When I originally found her, I had to trigger her reincarnation
process to get her on track with her destiny; but it was a mistake that I have
lived in regret with. I realize that I wrongfully treated her like an
abomination. She should have been properly trained in the ways of magic to
become the Guardian she was meant to be. But now, with time having been
rewritten before our very eyes, I now have that chance.”
(Pop Culture: The reasoning for Victoria's miscount from her succeeding reincarnations strongly reflects that behind the War Doctor in Doctor Who. Although he did not initially carry the moniker of "Doctor" in his incarnation, he still was a regeneration of him.)
Yen Sid’s
story on her history greatly overwhelmed Victoria. Never in her life had she
felt so special. It brought tears to her eyes, which she was quick to wipe away
once he finished, and pride in her heart. “So…uh…w-what
do I do now?”
“Close your
eyes and focus on your surroundings.” Yen Sid instructed – her first lesson in
becoming a Guardian now in process. “Shut out any noise that might distract you
from the one sound you should focus
on: your heartbeat. Your heart contains the soul of Sean Thomas himself;
therefore, it should help you to find his other reincarnations. Understood?”
Victoria
nodded and followed his instructions exactly. She sealed her eyes shut and
focused on just her heartbeat, letting the sound of the wind and the rushing
waves drown out and become nothing but silent. In the total darkness that she
saw beneath her eyelids, she noticed flashes of images – people she had never
met but felt as if she did. There were two women in a Greek setting – one tall,
blonde, and in her early-forties, wearing the tightest pair of pants Victoria
had ever seen, and a young brunette who looked almost as grouchy as Adrienne;
there was another blonde – a mermaid with a gold seashell bra and a glittering
light blue tail, swimming along with a little clownfish; two more blondes – one
younger, one older – in Arabian cloaks; a man locked away in a dungeon and barbarically
shouting to the heavens; and, finally, four women separated in pairs and in two
areas within the worlds Victoria and her new companions were in.
Although
she did not know of the names of these other “Guardians,” she was good enough
at providing a description of them to Yen Sid and the ones there on the beach.
When she reached the part with the two blondes in Arabian cloaks, there was
cynicism in the possible chance that they were in the Aladdin realm, which – as Disneyverse legend had it – was destroyed
eons ago. “It could just mean the world has returned because of the rift –
doubt there’d be any other ‘special’ reason,” Theresa logically presumed.
“Even so,
we shall search the other realms for those Guardians after we have reclaimed the ones here.” Yen Sid directed.
“Wait.”
Victoria quickly said – her eyes still closed. “I hear singing.”
Marla
glanced around in confusion. “I don’t hear anything.”
“She’s
still honed in on her senses.” Theresa indicated. “Where’s the singing coming
from, Victoria?”
The young
Englishwoman paused for a short time. Her eyes then snapped open and she
pointed towards a collection of trees near the shore. “There!” She led them all
into the foliage.
With both
the Neverland and South America suns setting simultaneously, there was not much
light to guide them through the jungles. Not that they would need much light
with Victoria leading the way. It was as if she knew every inch of the place,
despite the merger and the fact that she had never been to either world. She
was certainly a quick learner after just mere minutes of tutelage by Yen Sid.
Unfortunately,
as in tone with her senses as Victoria was, there were three things that she
failed to notice in the rush across the jungle – and they practically collided
into her, Adrienne, Marla, Shelly, Theresa, and Tiffany. Yen Sid, who kept at
his own pace behind the women, walked right into the collection of bodies
sprawled over the ground – one of which was a short, obese golden retriever.
“Hi,” he said directly to Yen Sid, via his collar/translator.
“Hello.”
Yen Sid casually returned; he was not a bit fazed by the dog’s unique function.
He noticed before the collision that the canine was accompanied by two young
women, both tall in stature with reddish-brown hair. After collecting
themselves from the chaos, they both started to take notice in his presence,
their faces lit with joy like children on Christmas morning.
“Yen Sid!”
They cheered in unison. They then noticed more familiar faces in Marla,
Theresa, and Shelly – past incarnations that they remember all too well. “So
many old faces here!”
“Watch who
you callin’ ‘old,’ girlie!” Marla defensively remarked.
Tiffany,
after shaking off the cobwebs, finally saw who it was that she and the other
Guardians bumped into. “Allison? Tasha?”
The two
young women directed their attention to Tiffany, as well as Adrienne and
Victoria. “Yeah,” said Tasha. “Who are you?”
“They are
your future incarnations.” Yen Sid
revealed to them. “They have been gathered with your past ones for Genevieve’s
cause.”
(Authorial Note: By this point in writing Tales of the Disneyverse, Livingston felt similarities to Junior Ghostbusters, another miniseries he wrote for The Disney Ghostbusters in 2009. Both deal with multiple characters across "dimensions" of Disney, separating them through various adventures but then ultimately bringing them together at the end.)
“Genevieve.”
Allison whispered, having been reminded of the name. “Yeah, we haven’t found her, but we did find Ellison with Mickey, Panda, and—”
“Panda!”
Adrienne cried out the name with Tiffany, both sounding very excited and
hopeful. “He’s here?”
“Is he
alright?” Tiffany asked.
The
excitement in their voices surprised Allison, Tasha, and even the other
Guardians – there was something about the resident of Fantasia and a fond
companion that brought out much concern from the two future Guardians. “Yeah, he’s
fine,” confirmed Tasha. “He and Mickey were with Ellison and two other people
we barely know – a tall, fit blonde and a short redhead who looks like she
means business.”
“Katie and
Anne-Marie.” Tiffany identified. “The second being another one of us.”
“Man, why
do there have to be versions of us that look like they lack personality?” An
aggravated Allison questioned, before turning to Adrienne and adding, “Like
this one?”
Adrienne’s
fiery blue eyes darted towards Allison, shooting a glare at her so fierce that
Allison took a step back. Her hand moved to one of her saber hilts, and when
the other Guardians noticed, they stepped in between the two women to avoid a
gruesome confrontation. However, before a scuffle could even happen, they
stopped and heard singing from nearby. “There it is again,” Victoria said.
“That’s what I’m hearing.”
“Yeah, but
now I can hear it, too.” Theresa
concurred, as did the others.
Following
the angelic voice, the group came upon one clearing reserved for Hangman’s
Tree, the hideout of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. There, they discovered
Ellison singing “Your Mother and Mine” divinely to the Lost Boys, all of whom were
asleep around the tree. She cradled Tootles in her arms like a baby as she finished
out the melody. Her singing was so soothing that it put even Mickey, Panda, Katie,
and Carl to sleep. Anne-Marie was just about to doze off herself until she
caught Yen Sid arriving at the tree; at first she believed it was her drifting
into unconsciousness, but she quickly realized he was really there.
(Biographical Note: In real life, Jennifer Ellison possesses quite the angelic voice, which perfectly echoes that of the Disney Princesses she performs as. Examples of this can be found on her YouTube channel.)
“Yen Sid!” Her exclamation of his name
woke Katie, Mickey, Panda, and Carl.
“Huh?
What?” Carl muttered as his old, weary eyes slowly opened, seeing the new group
of strangers standing before him. “Oh, great. Even more weirdoes. And here I’d hoped that it was all a nightmare.”
Dug
joyfully rushed right up to Carl. “Hello again, Master. I have found help. A lot
of help.”
“Thanks.”
The disgruntled Fredricksen said.
As Panda
stood back up after his time of slumber, he was surprised with a hug from
Tiffany. “Oh, Panda! It’s so good to see you again, buddy!”
“It’s…good
to see…you?” He awkwardly reacted to the greeting of the fortysomething
brunette he had no recollection of ever meeting. Of course, in the midst of the
hug, he figured she had to be a reincarnation no less – one from a future he
pondered his place in, going from her tearful joy in seeing him again.
Meanwhile,
Yen Sid approached Carl, his imposing form towering over the old man (who might
as well have been a young man
compared with the centuries-old sorcerer). “Mister Fredricksen, my name is Yen
Sid. Your young friend, Russell, has been kept safe in another realm where you
and Dug will be taken for your own safety.”
Carl was
lost on Yen Sid’s impressive height, his daunting appearance, and the mystic
mumbo-jumbo that he just told him. All the confused old man could say was,
“Yeah…sure. Whatever you say, pal.”
(Disney Note: In Up, Carl Fredricksen is voiced by Ed Asner, who is no stranger to voicing mystical characters in Disney television programs. He is known to many Disney fans as the voice of gargoyle Hudson in the popular 1994 cartoon Gargoyles.)
“Oh, my
gosh!” Mickey suddenly cried out. “What’s happening?”
Following
his apprentice’s outburst, Yen Sid looked to see the bodies of the
reincarnations there with them glowing on and off like blinking lights as they
stood close by each other.
“What’s
happening?” Theresa asked as she looked upon her glowing hands.
“This is
what Genevieve had planned.” Yen Sid answered. “The more all of you gather, the
closer you reach to merging.”
“Merging?”
Adrienne remarked, not shy on expressing how sickened she was from the idea.
“My body fused with theirs?” She
gestured particularly to Marla and Ellison. “Revolting.”
Marla
glared at her. “Yeah, well, like it or not, hon, it’s happenin’.”
“I think
it’s exciting!” Ellison cheered. “We all started out in one body before any of
us even came along! It’ll be like one big, happy reunion!” Her comment on the
ordeal only made Adrienne come even closer to regurgitating.
(Authorial Note: Livingston drew inspiration from Dragon Ball Z's fusion process in developing the idea of the reincarnations merging together to create one "ultimate form.")
Katie and
Mickey, watching Anne-Marie’s body glow in sync with the other reincarnations,
were less than surprised by it. “I knew,” said Katie, who smirked at the sight.
“I knew you were a Guardian from the moment I saw your eyes turn white.”
“And from
the way you acted around Ellison.” Mickey added.
“But what I
can’t figure out is why you kept it so secret?” Katie asked.
Anne-Marie
let out a despaired sigh, looking down at her glowing body. “I’d come to a
point in my life as Guardian where I no longer felt I belonged anywhere. I was totally alone. And then, when I became
‘Anne-Marie,’ I felt that I actually had a brand new start, since no one would
know I was Guardian.
“Gosh.”
Mickey uttered. “Guardian or not, you’ll always belong in Fantasia with us,
Mistress.”
(UP NEXT: The Start of Another Story!)
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